After twenty-five days of mourning, family members received the bodies of the two minors who were killed during the Tronglubi bomb blast incident in Bishnupur.
This comes after Prime Minister Yomnam Kemchand Singh’s appeal to parents of deceased children to accept the bodies.
The two minors, a five-year-old boy and her 5-month-old sister, were killed during a mortar attack on April 7, while sleeping with their mother. Their mother was also injured in the accident. Later, an angry mob stormed and vandalized the CRPF camp located at Jhilmul village, Churachandpur district adjacent to Trunglabobi village, alleging that the security forces had failed to protect civilians from such a deadly attack. While controlling the agitating mob, three youths were killed in CRPF firing.
The bodies of the minors, which were dumped at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal, were handed over to the family members at around 11 am on Saturday, officials said.
A large number of people walked in a procession from RIMS Hospital to their hometown of Trunglupi, Bishnupur. Later, after performing the funeral, the bodies were buried at Lamtapong ground in Phogakchao Ekai, Bishnupur, next to the place where the three youths killed during the CRPF firing incident were buried.
Meanwhile, the government has guaranteed a posting in the Indian Reserved Regiment (IRB) or Manipur Rifles (MR) with equivalent rank to the minors’ father, who is currently serving in the Border Security Force (BSF), and mother who works as a nurse in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Guwahati, similar service will be provided in Manipur.
“If the father of the deceased minor works under the Manipur government, he can easily monitor the status of the case,” Chief Minister Yomnam Khemchand Singh had earlier said.
Since the Bishnupur blast, unrest has reignited in Manipur with multiple torch marches being held almost daily in five districts of Manipur including Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Thoubal and Kakching to demand justice for the deceased.
Following the incident, the government launched a military campaign in the suspected area around Trunglabhobi, Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts. The government also handed over the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). During the investigation so far, 5 suspects belonging to the banned underground group Kuki United National Army (UKNA) have been arrested.
